First published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

'A brilliant feat of compression. Mitchison has produced that rare thing, an original textbook. She has done a real service to Scotland.' - The Observer

Based entirely on research from primary sources, this book describes the development of the Scottish Poor Law as an instrument for the preservation of the old and destitute and, partially, as a protection against famine. It shows the effect of the Poor Law of the later Eighteenth Century agrarian reorganisation, the industrial revolution, Scottish urban development and the evangelical revival. This remarkably comprehensive investigation contains many revelations about the nature of Scottish social life over three centuries. * Covers the whole life of the Poor Law in Scotland * Based entirely on pioneering research of parish records and a wide range of other records * Contains numerous revelations about the nature of Scottish society over three centuries

Food banks, welfare cheques, and shelters for the homeless are the modern face of a timeless problem. Rosalind Michison explores the historical context of poverty and relief in a study that covers four centuries of European history. During the sixteenth century, authorities (both lay and ecclesiastical) and individuals alike showed a marked concern over the state of the poor in Western Europe. Mitchison analyses the nature of this concern and its possible causes. She then examines relief system as set up in various countries, comparing the approach of Catholic and Protestant states, and assessing what they had achieved by the mid-eighteenth century. Among the issues she discusses are the problems of funding and different possible bases for this, the issue of church or state control of poor relief, and the role of military developments in changing attitudes towards poverty and destitution. The last section of the book concentrates on developments within Britain and Ireland and examines the influence of social theories on the quality of provision. The chapters carry notes containing references to particular studies on various countries. These are supplemented by a further bibliography. In all, this is a thoughtful and timely overview of an important segment of European social history.